On 16th March Civitas, the institute for the study of civil society, published a book titled ‘The Ins and Outs of Selective Secondary Schools: A Debate’, edited by Anastasia de Waal, Deputy Director of Civitas and Director of the Family & Education section, with a foreword by David Davis MP.
The book provides in-depth arguments from 24 leading thinkers from the UK covering the history, current arguments, and future options for education. With a healthy balance from both pro-selection and pro-comprehensive writers, the book is a must-read for anyone wanting to understand the argument over selection in education. The Friends of Grammar Schools believe the book provides powerful arguments in favour of selection while rebuffing some of the most common myths and counter-arguments put forward by proponents of a comprehensive system.
We are making available the chapter written by Graham Brady MP, titled “The Twenty-First Century Case for Selection”, which provides robust figures and in-depth arguments to demonstrate that grammars provide better and more equitable education not only for those who attend grammars, but also for those who attend secondary moderns in selective local authority areas. It goes on to detail how selective education could be incorporated into current education policy. To open a copy of his chapter please click here.
On seeing the book, Graham Brady MP said: “Civitas has done a great job bringing together such a wide range of politicians and commenters interested in selective education, and I am proud to be among them. This new book proves that this important debate will never go away, opinion polls show consistent support for more grammar schools from supporters of all parties and I hope the arguments made by advocates of selection in this publication will help to bring policy makers into line with the public. We know that grammar schools provide the best academic education and I have shown too that selective areas as a whole tend to out-perform comprehensive ones. With the expansion of Academies and Free Schools now is the time to give real choice by allowing new selective schools.”
The full book is available for £18 from the Civitas shop.
The Ins and Outs of Selective Secondary Schools: A Debate